Saenger announces first acts under new management

The public was uncertain as to how HUKA Entertainment and SMG would handle running the Saenger Theatre, but with the first announcement of upcoming shows, it is looking like the “Jewel of Joachim” will once again be shining bright.

On Sat., Dec. 21, drummer John Milham, keyboardist Chris Spies and a ton of special guests will bring their “Charlie Brown Christmas” show back to the downtown theater.

Then on Sat., Jan. 18, The Machine: A Tribute to Pink Floyd will take the stage. The Machine delivers the music of Pink Floyd with impressive precision.

Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang will fill the Saenger with their new school and old school blues sounds on Tue., Feb. 18.

The Azalea City will also get to experience the Southern Soul Assembly on Tues., April 1. This supergroup features Marc Broussard, Anders Osborne, JJ Grey and Luther Dickson. Tickets for all of these shows are on sale now at the Saenger Box Office, the Saenger website or through Ticketmaster.

University of South Alabama’s Independent Music Collective has built a reputation for providing intimate performances featuring some of the nation’s premiere songwriters. For this installment of their concert series, they are bringing local sounds into the mix for their First Annual Thanksgiving Benefit Show. This “pay-what-you-can” event is generating funds for their spring concert series. Al Trout is the first ingredient in this mélange of organic sounds. Armed with an electrified resonator and a kick drum, this one-man band has crafted a sound he calls “Mongrel Americana.”

Trout is the brother of USA English Dept. Chair Steven Trout. South Carolina’s Carey Murdock will also be appearing. This busy singer-songwriter recently wrapped a run with Shovels & Rope. Local star Eric Erdman will round out this mix. Erdman has been promoting his solo debut “My Brother’s Keeper.” This special show will happen on Fri., Nov. 15 at Satori Coffee in WeMo.

Mobile Theatre Guild treated the Azalea City to a run of “The Rocky Horror Show” for Halloween 2013. Although many are familiar with the movie version of this musical, seeing it live onstage provided a new perspective to the Rocky Horror phenomenon. One aspect of the performance that accented “The Rocky Horror Show” was the ensemble of rockers who were recruited to back the actors. Musical Director (and Zew DJ) Gene Murrell joined Scott Morlock on keyboards with Patrick Imsand on electric guitar, Ben Harper on bass and David White on drums. The sonic consistency of this group was amazing, which made them one of the highlights of the show, besides Dr. Frank N. Furter (of course).

About The Author

With the exception of two years spent at Auburn University, Steve Centanni has spent his life in Mobile County while focusing on his two passions: music and the written word. As soon as he was issued his driver’s license, Centanni began to explore the local music scene in the early ‘90s.
He filled his weekend with visits classic local venues such as the Four Strong Winds Coffee House, Vincent Van Go-Go’s and Culture Shock, all of which welcomed those who had yet to reach 18. After high school, Centanni traded Mobile for Auburn to complete his B.A. in English with an emphasis on general writing.
While at Auburn, he had the honor of studying under the Pulitzer-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, who served as the nation’s Poet Laureate in 2012 and 2014. After receiving his diploma, Centanni quickly moved back to Mobile and completed the University of South Alabama’s graduate program with a M.Ed. Eventually, he was tapped by the nationally distributed Volume Entertainment Magazine to serve as the magazine’s managing editor/senior writer.
His time with Volume allowed him to exercise his love for both music and writing. As Volume began to fade, Lagniappe recruited Centanni as their Music Writer and later their Music Editor, where he has remained for a little over a decade.
As far as his involvement in the local music scene, Centanni organized Cess Fest at the Langan Park, which was a mini-festival focused on original local music in a time when original local music was veritably taboo in Downtown Mobile. For a short time, he brought original music to Downtown Mobile as the in-house promoter for the now deceased venue Cell Block. He managed local underground powerhouse Fry Cook, until the members parted ways. Centanni has lent his bass to bands such as Keychain Pistol and The F’n A-Holes, and he toured nationally as a member of Abstract Artimus & the Torture Children.
Currently, he provides vocals for the garage blues rock outfit Johnny No. Ultimately, Centanni’s experience in the local music scene as both a participant and an observer has allowed him to witness the ever-changing persona of Mobile’s enigmatic music scene, which continues to leave him with more questions than answers.